Lee Croft!

[KCASN 0]

Now I know its only one game. But I have always been a fan of Croft, he has great pace and works well with Semmy. Sounds like he finished it like a striker. I honestly think we should be playing him and Otsemobor as part of the first team. They ruined Sheffield United this afternoon. Well I think he deserves it. Congratulations Lee. Im hoping to see more of you! Anyone else think this?

 

OTBC!

[lucky green trainers 0]

semmy and crofty looked easier on the eye...crofty owes us a goal - make no mistake, and because its a matchwinner - all the more worth waiting for,,,is this the first time crofty has played 90 mins plus??? and with apparent physical ease???looks like crofty hard work in the gym is paying dividends - he''s beefed up and has stamina to his game now...good luck to him,,,so physically stronger yes - but still needs to create chances and score more goals to be the finished article imo...slowly getting there.,/

[The Horse 0]

Took the words right out of my mouth. 100% agree Koroma.

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

got to keep performing, he''s barely scored or created anything for the past 2 years

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="ncfc_chris"]got to keep performing, he''s barely scored or created anything for the past 2 years[/quote]

spot on!

jas :)

[XXL16 0]

Maybe Crofty is not the best finisher at the club but he always gives 100% to the team, and well when I saw him play, he was very frustrated if he didn''t receive a pass or the team losing, play for his shirt surely!

[southstand 0]

How many years do we have to wait for Croft to perform

and deliver perfromances to justify his transfer fee and high wages.

I''m not sure if he is worth a place at all, he is not a genuine provider

of chances, he does not score goals,he is not a strong tackling wide midfielder.

He provides some variation when brought on as a second half sub

and against Blackpool provided 20 minutes of effort and pace

- but again with no end product. He needs to get out of the gym and focus

on the ability to deliver pinpoint crosses to create changes, and spend many hours

on improving his shooting.

One goal should not give him a regular starting spot

The next two away games are vital to City''s season - we need

all the players to make maximum contributions

 

 

[NCFC_Thain 0]

I''m just confused by all this. If he hadn''t of scored people would''ve been slating him, he was poor yesterday. Especailly in the second half.

[SNAP 0]

Lee Croft?........nope, still not getting it!

Yes he scored and his overall effort and performance was an improvement on his dire showing in midweek but he is still not a winger who can get telling balls into the middle, he still doesn''t regularly beat his marker and he still doesn''t get enough shots on target.Having said all that I had the benefit of sitting right behind that on yesterday and it was a cracker.

I suppose that''s him lined up for Player of The Month and probably the season on that showing.

Nope, still not getting what all the adulation and fuss is about.

[Syteanric 1]

Croft went missing for most of the 2nd half anyway.. apart from the goal and 1 cross for sibierski can anyone remember anything of note that he did in the 2nd half?

jas :)

[NCFC_Thain 0]

[quote user="jas the barclay king"]

Croft went missing for most of the 2nd half anyway.. apart from the goal and 1 cross for sibierski can anyone remember anything of note that he did in the 2nd half?

jas :)

[/quote]Exactly. The guy next to me actually said in about the 80th minute "If I had one more sub I''d take Croft off" and most agreed with him. He is usually sticking up for him. I reckon most of those that agreed are saying he had an excellent game after he scored.

[ZLF 335]

It was an excellent finish;  but it can not mask the fact that for all his bluster he rarely creates or scores;   and as jas rightly mentioned he vansihed for far too long yest and like any of the front 6 was a justifiable candidate for substitution.

Less effort more end producted needed or he will turn into andy hughes.

[Saint Canary 0]

What I will say about Croft is that when he first signed he looked a really good potential player for us, got on the scoresheet and created goals in his first gfew games.  He then got an injury and has never looked the same again.  We can only hope that this give will give him confidence in the final third becuase the rest of his game is OK.

[GJP 79]

I know a lot of people will disagree with this but I know my football and my posts on here will show that (for those who know what they''re talking about).

So to my point... I personally think Lee Croft is one of the best (if not the best) right wingers in our league.

Sometimes I don''t know what people expect when they whinge about the quality of his crosses etc. We''re Norwich City playing in the Championship, not Real Madrid or Man Utd. Players that beat their man for fun and put the ball on the money everytime play for the big clubs on the big money and there are very few players of that standard anyway.

Look at Huckerby, I''m a massive fan and in my opinion he should definitely still be playing for us, but his final ball wasn''t the right ball as often as it should have been.

I look at Lee Croft and I see a talented young player who always works hard and wants to improve and I know he''s only going to get better if he keeps playing and keeps getting encouragement. Unfortunately for him there are always going to be too many people who want to whinge and find fault with him. Just like yesterday, he''s been criticised for fading away during the middle part of the game, but was he being fed the right ball into the right areas enough? Nope.

I''ll keep cheering him on the though because I know that he''s quality.

 

[Nuff Said 5,963]

The same point about the lack of presence on the right was made on the radio yesterday - but they said it was because we weren''t giving Croft and Semmy the ball, when they had it in the first half the two combined really well. I''d like to see Glenn stick with the combination for a couple of games and see if it works.

[Steve H 0]

I can see that Croft is really going to be one who splits the fans down the middle.

To me he''s a bit of an enigma. I''ll never understand how someone can look so dangerous and purposefull when running down the wing and taking on his man for it to fall to pieces when he has to produce the end product be it a shot or a cross.

I thought he looked his usual threating self yesterday but only produced one dangerous looking cross, ok he scored but that is a one off as things stand. Late on in the 2nd half he seemed to go missing, at one point we hit Sheff Utd on the counter attack and we had Croft & Hoolahan in CM and no one out wide on either flank, we really do need to address some of the positional play.

For what it''s worth I like him and really want him to do well for the simple fact that in Grant''s last few gamesl He was still giving his all (along with Rusty) even though the writing was on the wall, QPR (a) springs to mind. But we can only persevere with a winger who doesn''t cross well or score more than twice a season for so long, hopefully that goal was a turning point for him.

One last thing for me if you are going to play Croft you absolutely have to play Otsemabor at RB, the two have a great understanding and Semi is the only defender we have got who has the pace to get up and down the park to give Croft the support he needs and still cover his defensive duties, Omozusi isn''t good enough with the ball at his feet and isn''t quick enough imo.

 

 

[Here We Go 0]

 

On saturday Croft played brillianly his crosses were good we just had noone attackign them, he always wanted teh abll, and made quick runs when marshall caught the abll, so we could counter attack, but we went for the hoof ball instead, he attacked players and made clever passes that set others up for crosses.

And he scored, what more do you lot want. Get off his back and support him

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

[quote user="Belaugh Yellow"]

 

On saturday Croft played brillianly his crosses were good we just had noone attackign them

[/quote]

 

100% SPOT ON!

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

[quote user="GJP"]

So to my point... I personally think Lee Croft is one of the best (if not the best) right wingers in our league.

Sometimes I don''t know what people expect when they whinge about the quality of his crosses etc. We''re Norwich City playing in the Championship, not Real Madrid or Man Utd. Players that beat their man for fun and put the ball on the money everytime play for the big clubs on the big money and there are very few players of that standard anyway.

[/quote]

so not 1 right winger in the division scores or sets up goals?

Croft in over 2 years has only scored 5 goals and can''t have even reached double figures for assists, you say he is 1 of the best in the league yet take Michael Kightley for example. he has 13goals in just 44games and sets up numerous goals for Wolves or dare i say it Jon Walters at Ipswich. he has scored 16goals in 46 goals for them and sets up a few goals as well.

I''m not saying you have to score 15 goals a season to be a great winger but you''ve got to create for others on a consistent basis and chip in with a few goals, Croft hasn''t done either

[ZLF 335]

[quote user="Belaugh Yellow"]

 

On saturday Croft played brillianly his crosses were good we just had no one attacking them, 

[/quote]

So what is the point crossing if its not to a person?

Hoolahan lost possession lots - is that poor passing or the fault that of the player that was not there?

A fantastic looking cross is a pointless thing unless is gives one of our players something to go for - and that is the crux of crofts problem;  he conceeds possession too easily.  

[WeAreYellows49 0]

[quote user="ncfc_chris"][quote user="GJP"]

So to my point... I personally think Lee Croft is one of the best (if not the best) right wingers in our league.

Sometimes I don''t know what people expect when they whinge about the quality of his crosses etc. We''re Norwich City playing in the Championship, not Real Madrid or Man Utd. Players that beat their man for fun and put the ball on the money everytime play for the big clubs on the big money and there are very few players of that standard anyway.

[/quote]

so not 1 right winger in the division scores or sets up goals?

Croft in over 2 years has only scored 5 goals and can''t have even reached double figures for assists, you say he is 1 of the best in the league yet take Michael Kightley for example. he has 13goals in just 44games and sets up numerous goals for Wolves or dare i say it Jon Walters at Ipswich. he has scored 16goals in 46 goals for them and sets up a few goals as well.

I''m not saying you have to score 15 goals a season to be a great winger but you''ve got to create for others on a consistent basis and chip in with a few goals, Croft hasn''t done either

[/quote]

 

Maybe he would do more if he was played for a whole match instead of bit parts [:|]

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

[quote user="WeAreYellows49"][quote user="ncfc_chris"][quote user="GJP"]

So to my point... I personally think Lee Croft is one of the best (if not the best) right wingers in our league.

Sometimes I don''t know what people expect when they whinge about the quality of his crosses etc. We''re Norwich City playing in the Championship, not Real Madrid or Man Utd. Players that beat their man for fun and put the ball on the money everytime play for the big clubs on the big money and there are very few players of that standard anyway.

[/quote]

so not 1 right winger in the division scores or sets up goals?

Croft in over 2 years has only scored 5 goals and can''t have even reached double figures for assists, you say he is 1 of the best in the league yet take Michael Kightley for example. he has 13goals in just 44games and sets up numerous goals for Wolves or dare i say it Jon Walters at Ipswich. he has scored 16goals in 46 goals for them and sets up a few goals as well.

I''m not saying you have to score 15 goals a season to be a great winger but you''ve got to create for others on a consistent basis and chip in with a few goals, Croft hasn''t done either

[/quote]

 

Maybe he would do more if he was played for a whole match instead of bit parts [:|]

[/quote]don''t you think theres a reason why he only plays bit parts?

 

[Here We Go 0]

 

isnt it the job of teh winger to get the crosses in???

which croft was doing he was swinging teh crosses in deadly crosses at that, it sjust we don''t get enough bodies in teh box.

 

Croft relisesd that and began to cut inside, which led to are goal. SO really you can''t fault him, he changed his game and caused Sheff Utd problems they couldn''t handle him.

[Lurd 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"][quote user="Belaugh Yellow"]

 

On saturday Croft played brillianly his crosses were good we just had no one attacking them, 

[/quote]

So what is the point crossing if its not to a person?

Hoolahan lost possession lots - is that poor passing or the fault that of the player that was not there?

A fantastic looking cross is a pointless thing unless is gives one of our players something to go for - and that is the crux of crofts problem;  he conceeds possession too easily.  

[/quote]

Alan Shearer was on TV the other day criticising Theo Wallcott because a lot of his crosses tend to go to no one because he tries to be too precisce and I think the same could apply to Crofty. Shearer was saying that a winger should look to get the ball in the right places every time and as a striker, your job is to get on the end of things so its then down to you to score, not the winger to find you.

[Lurd 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"][quote user="Belaugh Yellow"]

 

On saturday Croft played brillianly his crosses were good we just had no one attacking them, 

[/quote]

So what is the point crossing if its not to a person?

Hoolahan lost possession lots - is that poor passing or the fault that of the player that was not there?

A fantastic looking cross is a pointless thing unless is gives one of our players something to go for - and that is the crux of crofts problem;  he conceeds possession too easily.  

[/quote]

Alan Shearer was on TV the other day criticising Theo Wallcott because a lot of his crosses tend to go to no one because he tries to be too precisce and I think the same could apply to Crofty. Shearer was saying that a winger should look to get the ball in the right places every time and as a striker, your job is to get on the end of things so its then down to you to score, not the winger to find you.

[Lurd 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"][quote user="Belaugh Yellow"]

 

On saturday Croft played brillianly his crosses were good we just had no one attacking them, 

[/quote]

So what is the point crossing if its not to a person?

Hoolahan lost possession lots - is that poor passing or the fault that of the player that was not there?

A fantastic looking cross is a pointless thing unless is gives one of our players something to go for - and that is the crux of crofts problem;  he conceeds possession too easily.  

[/quote]

Alan Shearer was on TV the other day criticising Theo Wallcott because a lot of his crosses tend to go to no one because he tries to be too precisce and I think the same could apply to Crofty. Shearer was saying that a winger should look to get the ball in the right places every time and as a striker, your job is to get on the end of things so its then down to you to score, not the winger to find you.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

So good you said it  three time Larry!

And  I mean that[Y]

Put the ball in dangerous areas not to heavily marked strikers.

 

[Lurd 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]

So good you said it  three time Larry!

And  I mean that[Y]

Put the ball in dangerous areas not to heavily marked strikers.

 

[/quote]

For some reason whenever I post at work, I get triple posts.. But yes.

Whip it in and let them get on the end of it. For what it''s worth, Ryan Bertand seems to do this well (although only when he''s at left back, he was poor on the wing on Sat.)

 

[Lurd 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]

So good you said it  three time Larry!

And  I mean that[Y]

Put the ball in dangerous areas not to heavily marked strikers.

 

[/quote]

For some reason whenever I post at work, I get triple posts.. But yes.

Whip it in and let them get on the end of it. For what it''s worth, Ryan Bertand seems to do this well (although only when he''s at left back, he was poor on the wing on Sat.)

 

[Lurd 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]

So good you said it  three time Larry!

And  I mean that[Y]

Put the ball in dangerous areas not to heavily marked strikers.

 

[/quote]

For some reason whenever I post at work, I get triple posts.. But yes.

Whip it in and let them get on the end of it. For what it''s worth, Ryan Bertand seems to do this well (although only when he''s at left back, he was poor on the wing on Sat.)